Eversheds’ regulatory drive lures DLA trio

Regulatory partner Steven Francis and his team of three associates are leaving DLA for Eversheds, becoming the first lawyers to leave since the announcement of the firm’s three-way transatlantic merger with Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich.

As a non-equity partner, Francis did not have a vote on the merger and expressed no view on it. He joins Eversheds as a fixed-share partner.

“I really want to take a more active role developing regulatory work in the way I think it should be developed,” said Francis. “Eversheds has an excellent environmental and regulatory practice across the regions that’s not so developed in London. I want to bump it up there.”

Francis advises clients on ongoing regulatory work, which may involve investigations by the Serious Fraud Office, the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency and the competition authorities.

The hire of the DLA team follows Eversheds’ capture of fraud partner Gerallt Owen from Orchard Solicitors in August. The two laterals represent a strategic move to boost the firm’s regulatory practice in London.